Starting mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



A. LOOMIS STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

I APPLICATION FILED APR.25, I912. 1,139,783.

Patented May'18,1915.

INVENTOR I WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN LOOMIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOIB. TO PACKARD MOTOR. CARCOMPANY,

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR IN TERNAL-COMB'USTION ENGINES.

7 Specification of Letters Patent, I

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed A p1i125, 1912. Serial No. 693,059.

teries have been used for the purpose of cranking internal combustionengines and thereby starting them on their cycle of operation. It hasbeen found, particularly in the use of such. devices with motors formotor vehicles, that when a comparativel small electric motor andbatteries of sma'l capacity are used, the internal combustion engine canbe cranked only very slowly and it has been found to be difiicult underthese conditions to start such engines, particularly in cold weather,partly because of the low grade of gasolene that it is necessary to use.The gasolene is not sufficiently volatile to form an explosivecharge'with the low suction afforded by pistons. It is proposed by thepresent invention to overcome this difficulty by adding to the electricstarting motor equipment an explosive gas supply with suitableconnections whereby the various devices may be simultaneously operatedfor the purpose of producing more satisfactory results. The

present invention theref re involves the use of a tank of gas, such asacetylene gas, and connections from thetank to the intake manifold ofthe internal combustion motor,

a valve in these connections, and a connection from the valve to the'operated parts of an electric starting motor system so that acetylenegas will be automatically supplied to the engine as it is cranked by theelectric motor. Provision is made for disconnecting or renderinginoperative the gas supply part of the combination if it is found the'motor will start readily without such gas, as in warm weather or with ahigher grade of gasolene.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the detail descriptionfollowing.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustionengine and the slowly moving its associated parts as arranged on a motorvehicle {and Fig. 2 is a view of a detail.

10 represents an internal combustion engine, 11 is the intake headerthereof and 12 is the carbureter. The crank case 13 has a rearwardextension 14 in which the fly wheel 15 and clutch 16 are housed. Theenglne' is mounted in a vehicle, the dash 17 and the steering post 18 ofwhich are shown in the drawings. The engine is equipped with a crankingdevice in the form of an electric motor 19 of any approved construction,and this electric motor is provided with a sliding gear 20 which isadapted to mesh with the teeth 21- on the fly wheel. 15 of the engine.

In Fig. 1 the gear 20 is shown as disengaged from the fly wheel and itmay be moved into engagement therewith byv the lever22 as willbehereinafter more fully described.

The electric motor 19 is energized]. from a storage battery 23 throughthe" circuit 24.- which is controlled by a hand switch 25, preferablymounted on the dash 17 or in convenient reach of the operator. -Mountedon a cross shaft 26 on the motor vehicle is a clutch :pedal lever 27which is adapted to operate the clutch 16 through the lever 28 and link29 in the usual manner. -Adaptedto oscillate with the lever 27 is an arm30,

and an arm 31 is mounted on the shaft 26 adjacent the arm 30 but isadapted to remain stationary except when it is coupled. to the arm 30 bya dog 32 pivoted to the arm 31 and controlled by a magnet 33 which isenergized when the circuit 24'is closed by the switch 25. 'The magnet 33is mounted on a bracket 34 secured to the arm 31 so that it moves withit, and the arm31 has another arm '35 moving with it and connected by alink 36 with the lever 22 referred to above.

From theabove description it will be seen that the engine may be startedby closing the switch 25-which thereby starts the motor 19 and couplesthe arm 31 to the arm 30, and throwingthe clutch 16 out with the, pedallever 27 which carries with it the arms 31 and 35 whereby the gear 20 ismoved into.

engagement with the fly wheel 21. As soon as'the engine starts theclutch is released and the gear 20 is thrown out of engagement 1-2;

with the fly wheel and the motor 19 stops upon opening the switch 25.

As suggested above the motor 19 turns the fly wheel'l5 comparativelyslowly so that under ordinary circumstances 'difiiculty is experiencedin getting a combustible mixture from the carbureter 12. In the presentinvention this is overcome by automatically the engine where it mayreach the cylinders,

and in the present instance it is shown as leading to the intakemanifold 11 as at 39. A valve 40 having two closed positions and asingle open position between them is adapted to be operated by the lever22 through a link all. The valve 40 is held in one of its closedpositions by a spring 42 and the link ll is connected to the valve by apin and slot connection 4:3. By this arrangement the valve 40 may beopened by a handlever 44 arranged for convenient operation by thedriver, the connection with the valve 40 being made through a link 455which also has a. pin and slot connection 46 with the valve l0 so thatthe valve may be moved to open position by the lever 22 withoutinterference from the hand lever 44. This hand control for the valve l0is for the purpose of supplying a combustible gas to the engine as it isstopped, which of course it is desirable to do independently of thestarting motor 15). By thus filling the engine cylinders with gas as itis stopped, starting is greatly facilitated, the engine frequentlystarting on the spark and without the use of the starting motor 19.

It is sometimes found that in very warm weather or with a very highgrade of gas0- lene, it is not necessary to supply gas to the motor forstarting and under these conditions it is advisable to renderinoperative the connection to the gas valve 4-0. In the presentinvention this may be accomplished by moving the valve '10 to its secondclosed position shown at 4-7 in Fig. 2 whereby the valve is not operatedby the lever 22 as it moves the gear 20 into engagement with the flywheel.

It will be understood that the tank 37 contains combustible gas, such asacetylene gas.

Various modifications of the devices and.

the connections may be made Without departing from the invention, thescope of which is set forth in the claims following.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an electricmotor, sliding connections for gearing said motor to said engine, astorage battery and connections and switches in circuit with said motorfor operating the latter, a gas supply and valve for injecting anexplosive gas into the intake manifold of said engine, means foroperating the sliding connection of said motor, and connections fromsaid means to said valve for operating the latter.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an electricmotor adapted to be connected thereto for cranking the engine, a storagebattery and connections for operating said motor, a switch to controlthe battery circuit, a gas tank and connections for supplying anexplosive gas to said engine, a valve in said tank connections, a-manually operable device, and means whereby said device is adapted toactuate said valve only when said electric motor is connected to saidengine for cranking the latter.

. 3. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an electricmotor adapted to be connected thereto for cranking the engine, a storagebattery and connections for operating said motor, a switch to controlthe battery circuit, a gas tank and connections,

for supplying an explosive gas to said ongine, a valve in said tankconnections, a

manually operable device, means whereby said device is adapted toactuate said valve only when said electric motor is connected to saidengine for cranking the latter, and manually controlled means forindependently actuating said valve.

-t. The combination with an internal coinbustion engine, of means forcranking said engine including an auxiliary motor, a gas tank andconnections for supplying an explosive gas to said engine, a valve insaid tank connections, a manually operable device, connections betweensaid device and said auxiliary motor and said valve for controllingthem, and a hand lever for independently operating said valve to open itand for positioning it so that it is inoperative with the auxiliarvmotor.

The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an electric motoradapted to be connected thereto for cranking the en gine, a storagebattery and connections for operating said motor, a switch to controlthe battery circuit, a gas tank and connections for supplying anexplosive gas to said engine, a valve in said tank connections, a deviceunder the control of the operator, means whereby said device is adaptedto actuate said valve when said electric motor is connected to saidengine for cranking the latter, and means under the control of theoperator for independently actuating said valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALLEN LOOMIS.

\Vitnesses:

W. H. FINCKEL, J12, G. A. Sonnonnnn.

